Why Daniel Moreno-Gama wanted to kill Sam Altman: 20-year-old Texas man’s AI fears and mental health claim explained

Why did Daniel Moreno-Gama allegedly target OpenAI CEO Sam Altman? Authorities and defense lawyers are offering contrasting explanations after the 20-year-old was accused of attempting to attack Altman’s $27 million home and threatening violence. The accused also went to OpenAI's headquarters and tried to shatter the building's glass doors with a chair and threatened to burn the facility.

Defense claims Mental health issues of Daniel Moreno-Gama

A lawyer representing Moreno-Gama said the alleged actions might be driven by a mental health episode. San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Diamond Solange Ward told reporters that the defense team is still investigating the circumstances.


“Our defense team is just now beginning our investigation, and what’s becoming clear is that Daniel’s actions appear to have been driven by an acute mental health crisis,” Ward said in the courthouse hallway, quotes CNBC.

Ward added, as reported by the outlet, that Moreno-Gama has a history of autism and described the case as “clearly overcharged.”

Federal complaint alleges plot to kill AI CEO

However, a federal criminal complaint paints a far more serious picture. According to the DOJ filing, Moreno-Gama, of Spring, Texas, allegedly traveled to San Francisco "in order to kill the CEO of a major Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) company.”


Prosecutors say he also threatened to burn down OpenAI’s headquarters and kill anyone inside due to his hatred for artificial intelligence technology.

“Moreno-Gama attempted to break the glass doors of the building with a chair and stated that he had come to burn down the location and kill anyone inside.”

Prosecutors reject mental health argument

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins pushed back against the defense claim, saying there was no evidence supporting it.

“It wouldn’t matter if this was a billionaire or CEO or any average San Franciscan,” Jenkins said as quoted by CNBC. She also said the office has “no evidence of him having a mental health issue.”

Document detailed Gama's intentions

San Francisco Police Department officers arrested Moreno-Gama on Friday and recovered a document titled “Your Last Warning” by Daniel Moreno-Gama outlining his intentions, according to a complaint filed in federal court. Authorities said the document expressed his aim to kill Altman and warned of humanity’s “impending extinction” from AI.

He concluded the document with a letter addressed to Altman, writing, “If by some miracle you live, then I would take this as a sign from the divine to redeem yourself…”

The complaint also stated that he listed the names and addresses of several additional AI executives, board members, and investors.

Sam Altman's response to attack and AI fear

Altman later addressed the incident in a blog post, describing the period as an “extremely intense, chaotic, and high-pressure few years.” He shared a photo of his family and called for de-escalation of “the rhetoric and tactics” within the AI industry.

With this, he, however, justified the fear of AI and voted in favor of democratizing it: “The fear and anxiety about AI is justified; we are in the process of witnessing the largest change to society in a long time, and perhaps ever.”

“AI has to be democratized; power cannot be too concentrated. Control of the future belongs to all people and their institutions. AI needs to empower people individually, and we need to make decisions about our future and the new rules collectively.”